The Shadow of What Was Lost/Chapter 12
| next= }} Summary Asha wakes up in a locked room somewhere in the Sanctuary. She had passed out while in Shara's house after Jin's murder, surrounded by concerned Shadows. Shara had already verified that the Watcher had been in the house, but when Asha had awoken, she was locked in the plain cell. Yelling and bashing on the door had done no good and she instead passed the time thinking about how the Shadows in the Sanctuary seemed like good people. Eventually Asha hears sound outside the cell and the door unlocking and opening. In walks a Shadow older than any she had ever seen, a thin faced man with a scruffy beard at least in his forties.We learn about how and why Scyner became a Shadow in . When the Treaty was passed, and amnesty was given to any Gifted who had already passed their Trials, meaning the oldest Shadows normally would only be in their early thirties. The man smiles at Asha's surprised look when she sees his age and introduces himself as Scyner, the Shadraehin. Asha asks him why she is being kept a prisoner and Scyner tells her that it is his job to keep the people in the Sanctuary safe, and when someone comes in and lies about their name, calling her by her real name, it raises questions. Asha asks how he found out. Scyner tells her that they originally thought she was a spy for Administration, but after finding no record of a Lissa from Nalean, they put the pieces together with the timing, and found records and an image of a young Gifted from Caladel. Asha confirms that she is Ashalia Chaedris and tells the Shadraehin about being the only survivor from the attack on the school, and how the Tol thought she might be important and hid her. He asks her to tell him what happened with Jin and the Watcher, naming him Aelrith, and Asha quickly relates the event. Scyner tells her he believes her, but that Aelrith escaped and no one saw him leave. He tells Asha not to worry though, by the sounds of what she told him, Aelrith will not be returning. Asha asks Scyner what Aelrith is and the Shadraehin tells her that Tol Athian experimented on people after the war, trying to create soldiers immune to Traps and Shackles, and that he guesses that Aelrith is one of them. He relates the story of when he first discovered the Sanctuary, Aelrith was already here staring into the light of the Essence column. They came to an agreement that the Shadows and Aelrith would leave each other alone and go about their own business, which lasted until the event with Asha and Jin. Asha asks what he is going to do with her now, and Scyner tells her she is free to return to the Tol, or stay in the Sanctuary if she wishes, now that he does not believe her to be a spy. He does have a proposition for her though, before she makes up her mind. He tells her that Administration knows about the Sanctuary, not where it is, but they are actively trying to find it and cut off the supply of food to it. In an attempt to force a negotiation, Scyner needs something of power to hold against them. He tells Asha that the Northwarden has been quietly investigating the attacks on the Gifted schools to the point of ignoring his other duties. The Shadraehin thinks that if he can find out why the Northwarden is so obsessed about the attacks against Gifted, whom he supposedly hates, and why he is keeping it a secret even to Administration, Scyner can use it as leverage. Scyner tells Asha that he wants to plant her in the employ of the Northwarden and spy on him for the Shadows. If they tell the Northwarden who she really is, he will want to question her, but since he is being discreet in his investigation, he won't turn her over to Administration. If the Northwarden wants her cooperation, he will have to let her in on his investigation, and any information she can gather, she will relay back to the Shadraehin. Asha quickly agrees. She was useless otherwise, and this would give her the chance to make a difference and maybe find Davian's killer. Scyner thanks her and sends her back to the Tol with Shanin as a guide. He tells her that he'll take care of organizing an explanation about Jin, and that she will just go about her normal routine until the Northwarden comes to her. Back in her room at the Tol, Asha wonders how long it will take before the Northwarden comes and finds her. Most of the night had passed with her down in the Sanctuary, so there was no point in sleeping before having to be down at the library. She lays down on her bed to wait. Characters Appeared *Ashalia Chaedris as Asha *Scyner as the Shadraehin *Shanin Mentioned *Aelrith (The Watcher) *Davian *Elocien Andras (as the Northwarden) *Jin *Shana Geography *Caladel (mentioned) *Nalean (mentioned) *The Sanctuary *Tol Athian Terms *Administration *Decay Clock *Gifted *Northwarden *Shackle *Shadow *The Shadraehin *Tol Athian Council *Tenets *Trap *Treaty *Trials Category:Chapters